Designing an approach to discipline and social needs

Teacher-powered teams can secure autonomy to determine discipline policies for their school as long as they comply with state statutes, including zero-tolerance laws and due process requirements. Depending on the extent of the autonomy your team is able to secure in this area, there might also be school board policies you need to follow.

Another option to consider is pursuing autonomy to address social needs above and beyond what is required by law. For example, many teams adjust teachers’ roles and use their budget autonomy to allocate additional funding for social workers. Your team should consider all of this before negotiating for autonomy.

Here are a few design questions for your team to consider as you think about your school’s approach to student discipline and social needs:

Does the school’s approach reflect your team’s shared purpose, including philosophies about
student learning and behavior?

Is this approach reflected throughout the learning program?

What opportunities do adults in the community have to model these behaviors and beliefs for
students?

Resources

Existing teacher-powered schools' approaches to discipline and social needs

Filmmakers Tom and Amy Valens explore the relationship between social and emotional well being and capacity for intellectual growth, in addition to examining opportunities and obstacles associated with full-inclusion classrooms.

Many teacher-powered schools choose to implement some element of this report as part of their approach to discipline. The Alameda County School Health Services Coalition offers concrete ideas for bringing Restorative Justice into schools.